Amor Mundi

The weekly newsletter of the Hannah Arendt Center

What is most difficult, writes Arendt, is to love the world as it is. Loving the world means neither uncritical acceptance nor contemptuous rejection, but the unwavering facing up to and comprehension of that which is. The opinions expressed in essays on our site are those of their authors.

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About

Amor Mundi (for love of the world) is an exploration of Arendtian topics delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. This includes deep dives into the works of Hannah Arendt and the implications of her ideas on the world today. We feature varied, nuanced, and often opposing viewpoints in this non-partisan publication, and brave and provocative ideas that will help you (re)discover the joy of deep thinking and caring about the world.

When you subscribe to the newsletter, you'll also receive first-hand updates on what we’re doing at HAC (conferences, events, workshops, etc.), an Arendt Quote of the Week with in-depth analysis from Arendt scholars from around the world, and highlights of the work being done on campus by our Student Fellows. Be among the first to know about special offers from our partners and upcoming events!

We've been publishing weekly essays here on our website since 2010, and are now transitioning to the publication platform Medium. You can still read for free with links from our email each Sunday! But now you can highlight sections and comment, too!

Browse our Library of Amor Essays on Medium

A note to new Medium users: if you see an offer pop-up, just simply X out to close and continue reading. You can also Follow HAC on Medium and Subscribe to our publications, to receive additional notifications so you don't miss an essay.

The Radical Politics of Joy

"Is Joy really what Arendt wants us to be talking about, amidst the most racist, cruel, and criminal American administration since the Civil Rights era?" So asked one of my favorite former students, protesting the theme of this year's Hannah Arendt Center Conference: JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times.

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Civil Disobedience and the Spirit of American Democracy

Hannah Arendt wrote that, “Dissent implies consent, and is the hallmark of free government.” We are at a moment when dissent is required if we are to preserve our freedoms.

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Temptations of Tyranny

“If this isn’t tyranny, what is?” So asks Rod Dreher, one of President Trump’s most steadfast intellectual supporters, now increasingly alarmed by the President’s abuses of power.

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An Open Letter To My Friends Who Signed “Philosophy for Palestine”

These are dark times as multiple crises are erupting around the world while talk of a global conflagration is heard in many circles. These are also times that try human relationships, friendships, and alliances.

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Temptations of Tyranny

Rod Dreher’s conflicted support for President Trump illustrates a broader crisis among intellectual conservatives who fear the "soft totalitarianism" of liberal institutions yet embrace the hard authoritarianism of executive overreach. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s political thought, the essay contends that true freedom is preserved not through charismatic leaders but through the multiplication and decentralization of citizen power. Revitalizing democracy, it argues, requires stubborn, local acts of collective governance rather than the dangerous temptation to concentrate authority in a single figure.

04-27-2025

All Categories

Video

The Courage to Be

A film from Bard student Jonathan Fine about the Hannah Arendt Center's spring semester course and dinner lecture series on courage.

07-13-2019

Article, Featured

Democratic Happiness

Roger Berkowitz looks at two essays presenting differing views on democracy.

07-13-2019

Article

What We're Reading: Cultural Criticism

Hannah Arendt Center fellow Thomas Chatterton Williams responds to a New York Times op-ed.

07-13-2019

Article

Hannah Arendt Award for Political Thought

Samantha Hill notes an honor shared by Hannah Arendt Center director Roger Berkowitz and Jerome Kohn.

07-13-2019

Article

Presuppositions: Reply to Benhabib and Jay

Raymond Geuss responds to Seyla Benhabib’s rejoinder. View the debate via the links below the full text of the essay.

07-13-2019

Quote of the Week

“What do we do now?”
Why Arendt Refuses to Answer

Chiara T. Ricciardone is Provost and Faculty Member of the Activist Graduate School and an NEH Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center of Bard College (2018–19).

07-13-2019

Art & Arendt, Article

The Fundamental Chord: Remembering Carl Heidenreich

Max Feldman
We first published this essay by Max L. Feldman earlier this year.

06-29-2019

Video

Is Liberal Democracy Our Future?

This talk was a part of the Hannah Arendt Center's 10th annual conference, "Crises of Democracy: Thinking in Dark Times".

06-29-2019

Article, Featured

Gerrymandering and State Power

Roger Berkowitz takes a look at political power in American in light of last week's Supreme Court decision on partisan gerrymandering.

06-29-2019